It's back!!!!

*** Warning, major whine ahead ***

It's back. That awful OWS is falling, has been falling, first pellets and then nice big flakes... So far over 4 inches and it's falling thick and sideways. I am so sick of this stuff....

Plus my mare is bagging up, really bagging. Her bags have quadrupled in size since this morning. She freaks out in stalls (the last time she literally tore it apart to get out, injuring herself in the process) so she's in a run with a 3 sided stall... No door... I strung out extension cords for heat lamps and heaters this morning and now I can't find them in the OWS...

I've sat here looking at the window and watched several people almost slide off the road into my pasture. This hill is so not good for this stuff. One guy ended up in the ditch earlier (just missed the lower corner of my fences) and the EMT's had to crawl up the hill to him. We are the last road to get plowed and sanded... There's no way I can take this mare to the clinic to foal, so it looks like (if she foals soon) it will be in OWS.

I guess the only good thing is that Hubby stopped by the truck stop a bit ago on his way home from Tacoma (who knows how long it will take him to get here) and picked up a HUGE tarp. We're going to try to tarp off the run when he gets here. It won't look real good, but at least maybe it will keep the OWS off the foal if it arrives...

I'm just so tired of this stuff. The latest the OWS has fallen here was April 8th - that was just last year. Please hope that this mare holds off for at least a few more days... Thursday is supposed to be much warmer (31 degrees here currently). She's not due til the 4th, but it's looking like she might foal sooner than that...

*** Okay done whining, chocolate chip cookies for all ***

Will hold out hope for you CVR! I was going to suggest a portable corral panel with plywood on the bottom portion. Hope the tarp will work. Do you have one of those foal saver blankets from Schneiders? They are wonderful!

Let us know what happens.

We have a client that has a mare due to Brins 4/15. Heard today she is already bagging up.

The stall/shelter is plywood sided. I spent the day putting up a couple of the carport frames over the run and running inside to thaw out lol. Hubby got home a bit ago and we tarped it off. Tarped the 'roof' of the run and down one side, then we ran out of tarp. Hopefully, it works, so far it's dry in there and what OWS that was in the run we shoveled out and put down dry chips.

We turned her out into the pasture to do that, she kept trying to steal the shovels and rakes and tip over the wheelbarrow, not to mention untie the knots and play with the ropes on the tarp... Well, she immediately headed into the woods and stayed there until we went and retrieved her. She had a nice little nest going in there.

I'm frozen lol. I have many foal blankets. I can double up if needed. I have heavy duty weight ones and fleece liners too to add underneath. And heat lamps and space heaters that shut off if they get knocked over or overheat...

I just hope she holds out a few more days. It's now 19 degrees here now... brrrrrr....

hey girl!

How's your mare?

She's holding on, but off her feed. She is not happy about her 'new' run, but at least she's not trying to break out either. I do peel the tarp back during the day so she can get some sunshine (well, when it's out anyway).

It was a whole 11 degrees last night, colder when the wind started up, and the temps aren't supposed to rise until tomorrow or Friday. We've broken all the low temp records over here, some had been there for over 50 years. Our daytime HIGHS have been LOWER than the lowest on record too. The weather is really wacky. I'm hoping she holds out a bit longer.

I can't get the cam to work, so I've been tripping out there every hour to check on her. It's cold out there! I feel like I'm still frozen lol. * yeah I'm whining again, I hate being cold *

Oh and I checked with the clinic, all their foaling stalls are full up with mares from people like me who don't want thier mares foaling in this stuff. So, she stays here unless there's trouble. This weather is just not normal for here at this time of year.

Keep us posted. I keep thinking about her and am worried for her and her little one.

I'll keep you posted. Thanks for thinking of her. Right now she's flat out on her side basking in the sun. And it's currently 32 degrees with a bit of a breeze.

32 is nice (considering)!

I'll keep checking in. As it is, everytime I see a reply here, I assume I'll be seeing pix. Ask her to hold out a couple more days.

Ohhh Nooo...it's the dreaded SSSS word again!..so sorry to hear you're getting the white stuff again...spring and sun is just around the corner...sounds like the baby is coming soon...can't wait to see pics!

Well, good news and bad news. The good news is that she still hasn't foaled. She's very cranky and her bags are HUGE and are dripping when she waddles around. Today it's nice and sunny and a whole 38 degrees right now. It actually feels almost warm out there lol. Her feet are a little ouchy from walking on frozen mud, but she's loving her warm foot baths she's been getting. And the horses, well they're all shedding like crazy, huge big handfuls of hair every time you touch them. Spring?? Maybe???

Now for the bad news... The forecast is for rain. Not too bad, expected for here this time of year, BUT the snow level will rise to about 10,000 feet which means mountain snow will melt and melt fast. So, they said brace for urban flooding. Fun - NOT!

The last time they said that I had a waterfall going OVER my driveway (hopefully the new culvert will take care of that) and I had lakes instead of pastures. My pastures, pens, and runs were just starting to dry out too.

I so can't wait for spring!

I'll let you all know as soon as the foal arrives. I really hope she can hold out a bit longer. The lady I got her from (already in foal) doesn't know if she goes early, late, or on time. Not much to go on so I can only hope she holds out another week or so. Just enough to get through the predicted flooding.

CVR wrote:

Well, good news and bad news. The good news is that she still hasn't foaled. She's very cranky and her bags are HUGE and are dripping when she waddles around. Today it's nice and sunny and a whole 38 degrees right now. It actually feels almost warm out there lol. Her feet are a little ouchy from walking on frozen mud, but she's loving her warm foot baths she's been getting. And the horses, well they're all shedding like crazy, huge big handfuls of hair every time you touch them. Spring?? Maybe???

Now for the bad news... The forecast is for rain. Not too bad, expected for here this time of year, BUT the snow level will rise to about 10,000 feet which means mountain snow will melt and melt fast. So, they said brace for urban flooding. Fun - NOT!

The last time they said that I had a waterfall going OVER my driveway (hopefully the new culvert will take care of that) and I had lakes instead of pastures. My pastures, pens, and runs were just starting to dry out too.

I so can't wait for spring!

I'll let you all know as soon as the foal arrives. I really hope she can hold out a bit longer. The lady I got her from (already in foal) doesn't know if she goes early, late, or on time. Not much to go on so I can only hope she holds out another week or so. Just enough to get through the predicted flooding.

I'm concerned for you that you have flooding expected, and she's dripping colostrum now. I wouldn't normally suggest moving a soon to be foaling mare to a new location, but if you're risking having water in the foaling area, do you have a friend nearby, but above water level, that you could move her to? I did have a mare once, almost 30 years ago, who dripped for two weeks before she foaled, but generally speaking, if they're dripping, the foal is not too far off.

I agree with Amigo!!....that is a very scary predicament to be in! Hopefully you have everything ready for a 'just in case' scenario. I will send good thoughts your way that everything is ok!

Well, her pen/run is on the ridge. We haven't had water collect up there yet, so hopefully this time we won't either. It just makes getting up there through the new 'creeks' running down the hill a bit sloppy. I'm still hoping it won't be as bad as they're predicting.

In this area, there's really not many places that are above the flood plain. The going 'joke' is that the 500 year flood plains (meaning one flood for every 500 years) is really a 5 year plain. With all the new construction in the last 5 years urban flooding has gotten even worse than before.

Year before last I was literally stuck in my house for a week. The whole city I live in was flooded. I couldn't get off my hill at all, everything was flooded. We brought hay in here in a row boat and then drug it up the hill. Flooding is so common place here that you can't buy flood insurance anymore. You just learn to live with it.

The mare and her impending foal should be out of the water. If it does collect on the ridge I will move her to the arena at the clinic. There are no stalls left unless a mare foals in the next few days. They are packed, but will do what they can.

I'll hope that she's one that drips for a while before she foals. If anything goes wrong and the roads are flooded the vet won't be able to make it here and I won't be able to get out.

So, hope she holds off and hope that they are wrong and we won't get the flooding they're predicting to have start this weekend.

I'm just trying to stay positive and hope that it's not going to be as bad as they're predicting. Everything will be just fine with no problems.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you!

I think we'll be hearing news of a new baby very soon. I hope that the flooding won't be too bad for you. Poor baby. When is/was she actually due? I will be keeping good thoughts for you, the mare and foal!

Thanks everyone!

Stacy she's not actually due until April 4th, so about 3 weeks yet to go. I have no history on how she was with her previous foals, so I'm going blind on what the 'norm' is for her. For all I know she could be right on schedule for an April 4th baby. Going just on the 'signs' she's showing I doubt she'll last that long.

We have a mare that has foaled for us 3 times. She goes 3 weeks early. We always subtract 3 weeks to calculate her due date. I am hoping for you that she will hold out.

Well, no foal yet and no flooding yet either. I've taken to putting/holding a baby bottle under her udder to collect the 'drips' I have almost a whole bottle now. She's doing fine, cranky but fine.

Now for the bad news.... Can someone just shoot me please??? Guess what's happening outside right now.... Yep, the OWS is falling again. Nice big fluffy flakes! This is just getting ridiculous. Oh well, if enough falls and it doesn't freeze like last time, I'll be building OWS men and...

Using them for target practice.

You poor thing! I guess the white stuff is better than flooding at this point? Will be waiting for news of a beautiful, healthy baby!

CVR wrote:

Well, no foal yet and no flooding yet either. I've taken to putting/holding a baby bottle under her udder to collect the 'drips' I have almost a whole bottle now. She's doing fine, cranky but fine.

Now for the bad news.... Can someone just shoot me please??? Guess what's happening outside right now.... Yep, the OWS is falling again. Nice big fluffy flakes! This is just getting ridiculous. Oh well, if enough falls and it doesn't freeze like last time, I'll be building OWS men and...

Using them for target practice.

Yes, save that colostrum and give it to baby when it arrives. If she continues dripping like this, she could compromise her supply. I'm guessing that you already know that you can freeze it, but under no circumstances are you to rewarm it in the microwave.

I know, but thanks for the reminder. And it's thaw and warm up in a tub of hot water in the kitchen sink.

Luckily the OWS has stopped with just a little ground cover. The sun is trying to come out, but the winds have picked up which means another storm is on the way.

I'm so glad that I bred my mares for May onwards babies. I have no idea why they bred this mare for an April baby. Okay to be fair normally the weather just isn't like this, but I think I'd rather be safe and wait another month or two.

No foal yet. She's getting extremely cranky with me holding that bottle under her teats. She actually tried to kick me this morning. I think the wind has her a bit upset. Her tarp is making all sorts of racket. Poor thing just looks miserable.

I did finally get my cam working. Turns out it was the TV jack not the cable or the box like we were thinking, so we switched out the TV and now I can watch her from my bed all night long and stay warm.

Any baby yet? It's been a couple of days since you've checked in.

How's the weather? Mud, flooding or snow?

The weather is awful, the wind is gusting almost constant and it's raining, raining, raining... Blah, I can't wait for June. I've been so busy I've just been doing quick run by's on the net.

No baby yet, but today I caught her flirting with the stallion so it won't be long now. 'Usually' they foal within days if they act like they're in heat when they're close to foaling.

It's a good thing I put her in the 'pen' because now she won't let me near her. She's shedding like crazy and won't let me near her to brush her. Tonight once Hubby is home we're going to corner her and get a halter on her, so she's easier to catch. I think I have leather breakaway that will fit her.

This is going to be one mare who won't want anyone around her when she foals. I hate not having any history on her, but we'll work it out.

Hope all goes well when the foal arrives. My thoughts are with you and your mare.

Hope all goes well when the foal arrives. My thoughts are with you and your mare.

Well CVR, I hope things go ok. Still worried about baby and mare. I think I'll feel better once she foals and we all know both are ok. Sure wish your weather would improve!

Thanks Stacy and DDK.

We did have a bad day today. My last doe kidded (well we might have one more to go in about 3 weeks) and we lost the kid. The poor goat is distraught. She kept head butting me and biting me after I took it away. Normally I try to leave the ones that don't make it in with the doe until she leaves it, but the coyotes kept trying to come in, so I took it away.... It was just a bad day.

Anyway, onto better news...

It's pouring here right now, raining mud puppies and slugs, and I think we just may have a foal tonight. I could be wrong, but I've been sitting here watching her on the cam...

She'll do between 5 and 7 strong belly bites in a row, followed by usually 3 belly kicks, then she puts her butt on the side of the stall and pushes and pushes and pushes back repeatedly, then does some head tossing, then goes quiet... about 30 to 45 minutes later she'll do it again...

I haven't seen the foal move in the last couple of days either... Who knows, they like to keep us guessing, but I'll let you know in the morning if we have a foal or not.

I'm so sorry to hear about your kid. How sad.

Sounds like she's very close. Bet you'll have that baby soon!

Well no foal lol.

She kept up her little dance until about 4. Then she layed down and I thought that was it... No she just did this really wierd stretching session and got back up. Put her butt in the corner and went to sleep. I stayed up a while longer watching, but gave up and took a quick nap before getting up to feed.

I'm tired lol. Bratty mare anyway.